


run with the wolf pack when your legs are tired

by carefulren



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, Fainting, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Sick Character, Sick Evan "Buck" Buckley, Sickfic, Tumblr Prompt, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22312549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefulren/pseuds/carefulren
Summary: Something's up with Buck. Eddie knows this, but he can't pinpoint what's up exactly until Buck passes out in front of Christopher.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 36
Kudos: 727
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	1. Chapter 1

Eddie’s slipping his boots on, working in time with the loud alarm ringing overhead, yet his focus is pulled toward Buck, or rather, the slight tremble of Buck’s hands as the latter works into his own gear.

Buck’s been back for a few weeks now, the initial tension has faded away to their familiar routine, and he’s been diving headfirst into his work, taking each call with an almost desperate passion that’s got Eddie worried, to say the least.

He’s called Buck out after two days of Buck working himself into the ground, and Buck fought against his concern then, telling him he has to make up for lost time, to prove himself to Bobby, to make things right again,

Well, Eddie thinks as he gets to his feet, things have been right, and he’s frankly concerned that Buck’s going to drop. He’s tired of watching Buck act like this. “Hey, Buck? You okay?”

Buck turns to him, and despite his poor pallor, despite the small red flush to his cheeks, he smiles wide, energy pouring from his eyes, threatening to suck Eddie in if he stares too long. “Yeah, man! I’m just ready to get out there!”

Eddie casts a long gaze back to Buck’s hands, frowning deeply at the trembling. “Yeah,” he draws out, almost distracted, “just... take it easy, okay? You don’t look so hot.” He pulls his gaze back to Buck’s, eyes rolling on instinct at the devious grin that creeps at Buck’s lips.

“I thought you said I always look hot.” 

Eddie turns toward the door with a deep sigh, Buck hot on his his heels. “That was one time, and I only said it because you were literally drowning in your own pity at the hospital.” Buck claps a hand to his shoulder, falling into pace with him, and he cocks a brow.

“Yeah,” he starts, leaning forward, “but you still said it.” 

Eddie slaps Buck’s hand away, ignoring the loud laughter that follows, and he hoists himself up into the firetruck, slipping his headset on and listening as Bobby barks out the situation.

It’s a house fire, a two story house fire to be specific, and Eddie and Buck are ordered to enter and rescue when they arrive after the wife of the house informs through gasping sobs and coughs that her son is trapped on the second floor with her husband. For a brief moment, Eddie considers asking Bobby if he can go about the rescue alone, but Buck’s already slamming a ladder against the side of the house and racing up it with impressive speed. Bobby looks at him, eyes narrow, stern, yet patient, but Eddie only breaks the gaze and starts up the ladder after Buck.

“Move away from the window!” 

Eddie looks up, only a few rungs behind Buck, to see Buck waving to the father and son, and once their clear, he lifts his arm, preparing to swing his elbow against the window.

“Buck, wait!” 

“Now’s not really a good time, Eddie!” 

Eddie closes the distance, and it takes some careful maneuvering until he’s got one foot planted on the same run Buck’s standing on, and he’s pulling himself up until he’s level with Buck. “The blood thinners, Buck. What if you cut yourself?” He keeps his gaze sharp, unyielding, and Buck gives in with a wave of the hand. 

“Fine, Superman, have at it.” 

Eddie slams his elbow into the window until the glass cracks and breaks against the force, and he’s quick but careful to make sure there’s no jagged shards sticking out. Buck’s got one hand on a rung above them and the other wrapped around Eddie’s waist to keep him steady, and the second the last of the glass hits the floor and they’re hit with waves of smoke, they fall into quick action.

Eddie enters the room first with Buck close behind. The two do a quick survey of their surroundings, gauging how long they have, before they move to the victims. 

“Is anyone hurt?” 

“I have some burns on my arm, but otherwise, we’re okay.” 

Eddie’s eyes find the burns on the man’s arm, frowning at the black and red strips of burned skin, but then Buck’s moving past him to the kid.

“Eddie, we’re running out of time. We gotta move.” 

He nods, watching as Buck crouches down in front of the kid, and he doesn’t miss the way Buck staggers faintly, briefly, for just a breath of a moment, one hand reaching out to the floor to steady himself.

“What’s your name?” 

“Buck,” Eddie interrupts and starts toward him, “let me carry him--” 

“--I’ve got this, Eddie! Help the father!” 

Eddie watches as the kid, Benjamin, puts all of his trust into Buck and climbs onto Buck’s back, and he keeps his focus heavy on the two as Buck quickly gets to his feet, the unsteadiness from before replaced with quick determination.

“Eddie, let’s go!” 

Buck’s voice snaps him out of his brief trance, and he nods and turns back toward the father. “Can you climb down a ladder with that arm?”

The father nods, and Eddie decides to go with is gut and not question the shaky hesitation in the father’s movements. He urges the father onto the ladder with a promise that everything will be fine, and then he starts down the ladder himself. He’s six rungs down when a loud explosion erupts from the open window. Buck was right, he thinks. They were definitely cutting it close with this one.

With the family safe, Bobby urges Eddie and Buck to get checked out right quick for potential smoke inhalation, but Buck declines, slapping a hand to Bobby’s shoulder.

“I’m good, Cap.” He shoots a smile to Eddie and Bobby, his face sporting a few smoke smudges, and Eddie’s gut twists uncomfortably, but he still nods, going along with Buck’s mood. 

“Same, Cap. We weren’t in there long.” He wants to press Bobby, to have Bobby force Buck to get checked out because Eddie just knows something’s wrong with him, but Buck’s acting normal, as if his hands weren’t shaking before, as if he didn’t slightly stagger a few minutes ago, so he drops it, and Bobby doesn’t press either further. 

“Fine, but I’m only saying fine because I’m exhausted, and because I know you both know to get checked out if you need it.” Bobby’s eyes linger on Buck, and Buck nods, almost eagerly, and offers a mock salute. 

“Of course, Cap!” Buck starts back to the truck, and Eddie and Bobby follow, watching as Buck talks animatedly with Chimney and Hen. 

“He seems to be doing a lot better,” Bobby’s comment sounds sincere to Eddie, fond even, and Eddie offers a quiet hum. 

“I don’t know, Bobby. Don’t you think he’s pushing himself a little too hard?” 

Bobby claps a hand to Eddie’s shoulder, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “It’s Buck. He doesn’t know how to pace himself.”

Bobby’s words don’t exactly ease Eddie’s concern, and the worry that’s forming a pit in his stomach remains on the ride back to the station, only growing despite Buck’s seemingly normal demeanor.

“Hey,” he starts as he and Buck are changing for the day. “Why don’t you come over? Christopher is dying to see you.” It’s not a lie exactly, but it’s not the entire truth either. Eddie wants to keep an eye on Buck, if only just for a little bit, just to see if Buck is really okay or not. 

Eddie picks up on Buck’s hesitation by the slight tension in Buck’s shoulders, but then Buck grabs his bag off the floor and shoots a wide smile.

“Sure, man! I’d love to see Christopher!” 

They go back in Eddie’s truck, leaving Buck’s jeep at the station, and Eddie’s hyper-focused on how Buck can’t seem to sit still, crossing and uncrossing his arms every few seconds, how Buck’s clearing his throat a lot, how Buck will occasionally reach up to rub at his temples.

When they get to Eddie’s abulea’s house to pick up Christopher, Eddie puts the truck in park, but he makes no motion to get out. He turns to Buck, who’s frowning questioningly at him.

“What’s up, man?” 

“Are you okay?” It’s the second time today he’s asked this, and to his surprise, Buck’s smile is softer, tired, but still there. 

“Yeah, I’m all good. Just pretty tired.” 

Eddie’s about to reassure that he’ll make sure Christopher doesn’t keep him up too late, but his thoughts clip off when he hears Christopher yelling for him. He pulls his gaze from Buck to see his abuela helping Christopher down the steps, and he hops out of the truck and rushes too him, chasing the fond relief that swells in his chest every night when he gets to pick up his kid.

“Chris! Hey, bud!” He scoops him up into a hug while offering his thanks to his abuela. 

“Is that Buck?” Christopher is looking over Eddie’s shoulder to the truck. “Is he going to hang out with me?” 

“He sure is!” Eddie takes him to the truck and gets him settled into the back seat with Chris gushing to Buck about all of the cool and fun things they are going to do tonight the entire time. 

The ride back to his house is similar, with Buck and Christopher chatting the whole way. Eddie’s impressed with Buck’s ability to mask his fatigue in front of Christopher, and he stays impressed when they get to his house and get inside and when Christopher pulls Buck to the living room TV to play some games.

“Not too long, Chris,” Eddie starts, leaning against the wall as Buck sets up a game. “Buck’s pretty tired, and you have school tomorrow.” 

Christopher smiles at him. “Just a few games,” he promises, and Eddie finds Buck’s gaze, the two sharing a silent conversation, before he nods and leaves to clean up the kitchen.

He’s moved onto Christopher’s room, gathering dirty laundry, when he hears a loud thud. He freezes, heart fluttering to stop, but then he hears Christopher’s voice, a crying shout of desperation.

“Buck!” 

His heartbeat comes back hard and fast, hammering against his rib cage almost painfully, and he drops the piles of clothes in his arms and races out of Christopher’s room, whipping down the small hallway until he’s skidding into the living room.

Buck’s unconscious on the floor, a pile of games fallen to the floor close to his hand, and Christopher’s crying and stumbling toward him.

“I just asked if we could change the game,” Christopher cries. “And he just fell!” 

Eddie allows himself exactly four seconds of pure panic before he drops to the floor beside Buck, swapping into medical mode within the blink of an eye. His hand flies to Buck’s neck to check for a pulse, and it’s there, thankfully, but it’s racing, quick, fluttering heartbeats against his fingertips, but more concerning is the almost burning heat that coats his fingers. Frowning, he moves his hand to Buck’s forehead, and the heat that coats his palm is alarming. His cool touch brings Buck back, and Eddie swallows back the lump in his throat.

“Hey, Buck, can you hear me?” 

Buck groans, his flushed, sweaty face pinched in discomfort, but his eyes don’t open, and Eddie’s muscles tense under a weight of desperation.

“ _Evan_ ,” he pushes, lightly slapping Buck’s cheek, and Buck’s eyes finally flutter open, crystal blue eyes glassy and colored in confusion. 

“...Eddie?” Buck’s voice sounds rough, pained, and the small usage is enough to have him coughing harshly. 

Eddie helps him into a sitting position, assessing the back of Buck’s head the entire way up. There doesn’t appear to be any further injuries, so that’s one less thing to worry about for now.

“Buck! Buck! Buck!” 

Christopher’s sobbing beside them, and before Eddie can even begin to reassure him, Buck’s calling out in between ragged coughs.

“It’s okay... Chris... I’m... totally...” he pauses, his coughing dying down, “fine!” He forces a smile that’s so wide, it’s believable, and Christopher’s sobbing fades to light sniffling. 

“You promise?” 

Christopher’s small words grip at Eddie’s heart, so he can only imagine how Buck’s taking it, but Buck smiles impossibly wider, so genuine that almost Eddie believes it, and he makes to get to his feet. Eddie wants to protest, but he understands, so he helps Buck up, keeping a steady arm around his waist, and Buck throws both arms out.

“I promise!”

Christopher seems hesitant to accept it, but he does, and Eddie makes quick work of guiding Buck to the couch and getting Christopher ready for bed. He’s tucking Christopher in when the latter blinks up at him, eyes still wet.

“Is Buck really okay?” 

Eddie doesn’t know. The fever feels bad, potentially hospital level bad, and he doesn’t want to lie to his son, but he also doesn’t want Christopher to fall into a second meltdown.

“He will be,” he opts for. “He’s just a little sick, and you can help him get better by getting a full night’s sleep so he doesn’t stay up worrying about you. Okay?” 

Christopher’s a helper by nature, so he quickly obliges, squeezing his eyes shut. Eddie drops a light kiss to his forehead before he quietly leaves the room. He doesn’t mean to storm into the living room, but he’s chasing a hot flash of anger that’s beating with his heart, so he does, stopping before the couch where Buck is wrapped up in a throw blanket, shaking and coughing lightly.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Eddie spits out, keeping his voice hushed but harsh. “You’ve been pushing yourself into the ground for weeks! I don’t get it! You don’t have to prove anything to anyone! We all know that you’re a good firefighter, Buck, but right now, you’re acting like a damn idiot who...”

His words fall short. Buck’s eyes are watering, and it hits Eddie’s heart like a repeated knife stab. He gently sits down on the edge of the coffee table, anger fading away to pulsing concern. “Talk to me, Evan.”

“I’m sorry,” Buck starts, voice cracking. “I just... feel like I have so much catching up to do.” He swallows back a small gasping sob as tears begin to spill down his burning cheeks. “I started feeling like shit about a week ago, but I couldn’t stop. I lost five months, Eddie, and I just... I needed to keep pushing through.” He’s crying fully now, shaking just as hard, looking down to the floor, and Eddie shakes his head and breathes out a trembling sigh. 

“Hey,” he leans forward, wrapping careful fingers around Buck’s chin to guide his gaze back up to him. The heat somehow feels worse than before, but he needs to address one thing at a time. “It’s okay. Well, it’s not, but, listen, you don’t need to push through anything. We aren’t going to think any less of you if you have to take a break because you’re sick. You have to focus on you first.”

Buck nods, and Eddie makes a mental note to address this when Buck isn’t burning with fever, to make sure that Buck fully understand, and his face pulls into soft sympathy at Buck’s sniffling and shivering, at Buck trying to pull the small blanket tighter around his trembling shoulders.

“Let’s get you to bed--”

“--you don’t have to. Can you just drive me back to my jeep?”

Eddie’s gaze goes sharp, narrow. “No,” he says flatly, leaving no room for argument, and Buck doesn’t press further, a testament to how bad he must be truly feeling.

Eddie helps Buck to his room, helps him change into some of Eddie’s clothes, and gets him to take some Ibuprofen and water before lying down. Buck’s quietly compliant the entire time, and Eddie hates it. He wants to hear Buck’s snarky comments, Buck’s voice, just anything other than the quiet coughs.

He grabs the thermometer from the bathroom, and Buck doesn’t even try to fight him when he holds it up to him. The reading is bad, 103.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and Eddie has every instinct to wake Christopher up and drive their asses to the closest hospital, but Buck, despite his pounding head, can read Eddie’s features like an open book.

“No hospitals,” Buck says quietly. 

“Buck,” Eddie starts, looking down at the reading again. “I don’t like this fever.” 

“Me either,” Buck says, voicing his own concern for the first time, “but I’ve spent too much time in the hospital over the last few months, and I really don’t want to go back.” 

“You have one day to get this fever down,” Eddie decides, hesitance coloring his tone, “one day, Buck, you hear me? If you’re this bad by tomorrow night, we’re going.” 

“Got it,” Buck mutters before weakly grabbing at the blanket, tugging it up to his chin. “Shit,” he curses, shivering. “I’m freezing.” 

Eddie bites back sarcasm because Buck looks generally miserable. Instead, he slips his shoes off and climbs into bed beside Buck.

“Eddie, what are you--” 

“Roll onto your side,” Eddie orders quietly, and Buck complies, but he’s frowning the entire time. 

Eddie presses his chest to Buck’s back and wraps a steady arm around him, pulling him close.

“Are you... are you spooning me?” 

It’s the first time in an hour that Eddie’s heard Buck’s voice so clear, so animated, and he rolls his eyes. “Yes, but only for a little while because I don’t want you to overheat. Now shut up, and go to sleep.”


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck's suffering, Eddie's panicking, Bobby tries to be some semblance of a voice of reason from over the phone, the boys watch cartoons, and maybe say an 'I love you' or two.

Eddie’s gone when Buck wakes, the comforting heat at his back replaced with the faint chill of abandoned sheets. He rolls onto his back, a few sharp coughs slipping past his lips, and his hand grazes the empty side of the bed, fingers lightly curling into the rustled blankets. 

His other arm drapes over his eyes, the weight pushing back against the headache throbbing at his temples. His skin is hot to the touch, concerning even to him. He didn’t mean to let himself get this bad, he just... Five months, he thinks. Five months lost. Five months spent in a hospital and rehab. Five months falling behind the others.

He groans, coughing harshly, and he lifts his arm, rolling his head toward the empty side of the bed. He and Eddie... They... His thoughts are jumbled, and he wants to blame the fever, but he can’t shake this hint of a feeling that there’s something else, something different, something he should chase. 

Sitting up jostles his lungs, and he brings his curled fist to his mouth, coughing over and over into it until he’s borderline light-headed from the sheer, trembling force alone. His vision is slightly hazy, but he can still make out the digital clock on Eddie’s bedside table reading 2:07 AM. 

He’s been out since 8, yet he doesn’t feel like he’s rested at all. He feels positively terrible, every inch, every crevice of his body hurts, a dull, nagging pain that makes his movements slow, sluggish even. He’s blood feels as if it’s coated in ice, yet his face is burning hot. It’s incredibly uncomfortable, and he’s sure the medicine he took before hasn’t even touched his fever. 

He swings his legs over the bed, leaning both elbows on his knees with a shaking sigh. “Shit,” he whispers out into the empty room. The small motion left everything spinning, and he takes a moment to blink away the dizziness coating his vision. Getting to his feet yields similar results, but he moves through the swaying, snagging Eddie’s comforter to drape around his shoulders before he shuffles out of the room in search of Eddie. 

He’s quiet when he leaves the room, muffling a few coughs into the fabric of the comforter, and he follows the faint sounds of talking, stopping just before the living room to listen to Eddie’s quiet voice. 

“I don’t know, Bobby. He’s really bad.” 

There’s a pause, and Buck frowns, leaning against the wall and swallowing back a few coughs. 

“I know he always bounces back. Look--no--I know that’s how Buck is, Bobby, but he passed out because he’s been pushing himself so hard to catch back up to us!”

Eddie’s voice is a hushed whisper, but the intensity attached to each word is sharp, evident, and Buck’s eyes cast to the floor. 

“Bobby, how am I not supposed to freak out? After his leg, and throwing up blood... the blood thinners--” 

Buck pushes off the wall, ignoring the rather severe wave of dizziness that washes over him in favor or stepping into the room, a frown pulled tightly at his lips. 

“Buck!” 

Eddie’s on his feet, worry etched across his face, and he’s starting toward him, but Buck wordlessly stops him, holding a hand out. 

“What are you doing up? What’s wrong?” 

“Let me talk to Bobby,” Buck rasps out, wincing at the pain coating his throat, and though Eddie seems hesitant that Buck’s even standing, holding the blanket clasped at his throat with one hand, he hands over the phone, and Buck moves it to his ear while Eddie guides him to the couch with a gentle hand to the small of his back. 

“Hi, Bobby.” 

_“Christ, Buck, you sound terrible.”_

Buck’s still getting used to having so many people worry for him, it’s still unfamiliar, and he’s still adapting to having Maddie back, and Bobby, Hen, and Chimney, and... He spares a glance to see Eddie watching him intently, brows furrowed, body leaned forward as if waiting for Buck to collapse again. 

“Yeah,” Buck answers around a few coughs. “I feel like shit, but I’ll be okay.” He cocks his head to the side, smiling deviously at Eddie. “I have a great nursemaid.” 

Eddie mouths ‘fuck you,’ and Buck laughs, but his humor is short-lived when he erupts into a rather painful coughing fit. The blanket slips from his shoulders, and he moves the phone away briefly, curling forward to cough harshly over and over. He’s only faintly aware of Eddie snagging the phone, but then he feels Eddie’s hand on his back, rubbing small circles. 

“Easy, Buck.” Eddie presses the phone to his ear. “Yeah, Bobby, I’m here.” 

Buck’s chest is burning, and he wills his lungs to breathe, to expand, to bring in air, and after a few moments, his coughing tampers off, and the fatigue comes back heavy. He’s shaking. His face is sweat-slick, yet his teeth are chattering, and he can feel Eddie tugging the blanket back over his shoulders. He slumps back against the couch, eyes heavy, half-lidded, but he watches as Eddie puts the phone on speaker. 

_“Buck, you need to take this seriously. Eddie said you started feeling sick a week ago?”_

Bobby doesn’t sound mad, but Buck almost wishes he did. He’d rather take angry Bobby then disappointed Bobby. 

“I’m sorry, Bobby,” he starts, feeling far too emotional for the second time in hours. He swipes at his welling eyes. “I just--”

 _“--wanted to catch up,”_ Bobby finishes, and Buck frowns at the phone. 

_“But, you don’t need to do that. All you need to do right now is rest, Buck. You have to learn to pace yourself, not just for your sake but for ours as well. Imagine if you had fainted in the burning house earlier. Did you consider how much danger you could have put that father and son and Eddie in?”_

Eddie’s free hand drops to Buck’s shoulder, and he gives it a squeeze. Buck drags his welling gaze from the phone to Eddie’s, his dark eyes bleeding with concern. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck whispers, more-so to Eddie, and Eddie moves his hand to Buck’s cheek, swiping a tear away from Buck’s burning cheek. He mouths ‘I know’ just as Bobby chimes back in. 

_“I know, son. Just worry right now about getting better, and do not even think about coming into work tomorrow. You either, Eddie. We can handle it for a few days, so you just stay and take care of Buck.”_

“But, Bobby, Eddie--”

“--I’ll stay with him,” Eddie interrupts, holding Buck’s gaze with his own sharp yet worried one. “I’ll keep you updated.” Eddie says his goodbye and ends the call, and Buck holds Eddie’s gaze, unable to read Eddie’s dark, cloudy eyes, but then Eddie tosses the phone to the other end of the couch and presses the back of his hand to Buck’s forehead. 

“You feel warmer than before.” Concern is mixed in Eddie’s tone, and he leaves the room, coming back moments later with the thermometer. 

Buck wordlessly complies, having no energy to even think about a potential protest, and when Eddie shows him the 104.2 degree reading, even he can’t ignore the burning pit in his stomach that’s twisting in worry. 

“Shit.” Eddie presses the back of his hand to Buck’s forehead once more, as if trying to determine if the small device is lying, but the heat is evident, and he carefully helps Buck to his feet. 

Buck goes along with the motions, leaning heavily against Eddie as Eddie guides him back into the bedroom. It takes a few moments to get Buck settled in bed again and pumped with more medicine and water, and Buck would be lying if he said he isn’t relieved to be back in the warmth of Eddie’s bed. 

Eddie disappears, coming back with a cool, damp washcloth, and he drapes it over Buck’s forehead, a frown plastered to his lips. 

“Old school,” Buck rasps out, though the cloth feels heavenly against his far-too-warm face. 

“Well, I’m growing a little desperate here.” Eddie glances at the clock. “It’s been hours, and you’ve only gotten worse.” 

“Eddie--”

“--if you say ‘I’ll be fine’ right now, Evan, I swear I might lose it.” 

Buck clamps his mouth shut, frowning deeply. He can see the stress pushing past the concern in Eddie’s eyes, and he wordlessly pats the empty side of the bed. Eddie moves around until he’s sitting with his back against the headboard, and Buck drags a tired gaze to the ceiling. 

“If I admit that I’m pretty sick, will that ease some of your stress?” 

“No,” Eddie breathes out a breath of a laugh, running one hand through his hair. “It will make it worse, so how about you just get fucking better?” 

“I’ll try.” Buck’s eyes slip closed, unwilling to stay awake a moment longer, fatigue and illness pressing down on his chest heavily, and he nods off to the faint feeling of Eddie smoothing the damp cloth over his cheeks and neck. 

When he wakes again, it’s to soft voices coming through the crack of the closed bedroom door. 

_“Can I see Buck?”  
_

_“He’s still feeling pretty sick, so I think it’s best to let him sleep, bud.”  
_

_“Is he going to get better?”  
_

_“Of course! It’s Buck! Now, we should go. Abuela is waiting outside.”_

_“I really really want to say bye to Buck.”_

Buck slips from the bed, shivering lightly at the loss of heat. His head still feels an imbalance of light and heavy, and his vision sways slightly, but he feels a fraction better than before, even if just the smallest bit. He swallows back a few coughs, clearing his throat with a wince, then slowly pulls the door open with a wide, genuine smile playing at his lips. 

“Hey, Chris!” 

“Buck!” Christopher throws his small arms around Buck’s waist, and Buck bends over, blindly reaching out to Eddie for support to combat the sudden wave of dizziness while he wraps his other arm around Christopher’s back. 

“You headed to school?” He asks, pulling away from the hug.

“Yeah. Dad said you guys are going to watch cartoons all day.” 

“Oh?” Buck cocks a brow toward Eddie. “Did he now?” 

“He said it’s the best way to make someone feel better.” Christopher smiles up at Buck. “It always makes me feel better when I’m sick.” 

A car horn sounds from outside, and Eddie places both hands on Christoper’s shoulders. “Okay, kid, let’s get a move on before you’re late. Buck will still be here when you get back.” 

Buck waves at Christopher, and as soon as the two are out of the house, he falls against the wall, sinking to the floor as a burning coughing fit rips up his throat. He doesn’t hear Eddie enter the house once more, but he suddenly feels a steady hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, Buck, _breathe_.”

Buck nods and coughs until the fit tampers off, leaving him heavily winded and exhausted. He leans into Eddie’s cool touch on his cheek, eyes fluttering open when Eddie slides his palm from his cheek to his forehead. 

“You don’t feel as warm as last night.” Eddie tilts his head, eyes dragging all across Buck’s pale yet flushed features. “But, that sounded like it hurt. How are you feeling?” 

Buck considers the question as Eddie helps him to his feet and to the couch. “Shitty, but maybe a little less shitty then last night?” He falls onto the couch, shooting Eddie a purely grateful look when Eddie drapes the throw blanket on the back of the couch over him, pausing to tuck the corners tightly around him. 

“Very descriptive,” Eddie calls out as he leaves to grab more medicine and the thermometer. 

“Sorry,” Buck calls out weakly, unapologetic. “My mental dictionary is kind of lacking since my body is trying to boil my brain.” 

“And whose fault is that?” Eddie says when he returns, brows arched, waving the thermometer in front of Buck’s face.

Buck snags the thermometer and plucks it under his tongue, a faintly bitter looking playing at his face, one that Eddie smirks at. The reading, 103.2, is definitely better than last night, but Eddie’s not entirely satisifed with it. 

“I mean,” Buck starts with a shrug, “it could be worse?” He takes the medicine Eddie wordlessly passes him, watching Eddie flop down on the couch beside him as he pops a few pills into his mouth. 

Eddie turns on the TV, flipping channels into he finds Christopher’s favorite station that runs cartoons all day. 

“You weren’t joking about that,” Buck comments softly around a few weak coughs, tugging the blanket tighter around himself to ward of the faint chills clinging to him. 

“Nope,” Eddie says, popping the ‘p.’ “We are going to lounge around all day until you’re better.” 

Buck frowns, pulling his gaze toward Eddie. “You know you can go to work, right? I’ll be fine. You hate taking off work--”

“--Buck,” Eddie interrupts, snapping his gaze to wide, blue eyes. “Do me a favor and shut up?” 

Buck’s got a little more energy, more than last night, so he presses, voice rough, cracking slightly. “Eddie, man, I don’t understand. Why’re you doing all of this for me?” 

“Because I love you, you moron, now shut up,” Eddie starts, wrapping strong fingers around Buck’s warm jaw and moving Buck’s gaze back to the TV, “and watch the cartoons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay-- ONLY because a LOT of people asked for a part two, but this is the final chapter. 
> 
> I do plan on writing more for them, just not as a continuation of this fic. 
> 
> Please feel free to drop a prompt for these two off on my tumblr (@toosicktoocare) :)

**Author's Note:**

> I started watching this show when it first started airing, and like most shows, I stopped when I only had three episodes left of season 1. I FINALLY decided to watch it again last week when I saw a gifset of Buck, and I'm so MAD I waited so long to catch up! 
> 
> So this is obviously my first fic for these two and for this fandom, so feedback is greatly appreciated :)
> 
> Come say hi or drop a prompt off on tumblr! (@toosicktoocare)


End file.
